This study evaluates 3 drug-testing strategies implemented in 5 different jurisdictions with drug courts in Orange County, California. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the sweat patch acts as a deterrent and under what conditions it can be used to improve outcomes. Results indicated that although the use of the sweat patch did not…

Today, there is a collective national awareness that an unacceptable number of teens are involved in the use of dangerous drugs such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, and heroin, and they have access to high-grade marijuana. Alcohol use, even more pervasive, results in risky sexual behaviors, automobile accidents, and even death. To the dismay of many…

With 10 years of experience leading schools through random drug testing programs, the author, a superintendent, is convinced she's on the right track. At Hunterdon Central Regional High School District in Flemington, New Jersey, a school where she works as a superintendent, the author relates that they have seen a significant and well-documented…

One approach some U.S. schools now use to combat high rates of adolescent substance use is school-based mandatory-random student drug testing (MRSDT). Under MRSDT, students and their parents sign consent forms agreeing to the students' participation in random drug testing as a condition of participating in athletics and other school-sponsored…

The purpose of this case study was to examine random student drug testing in one school district relevant to: (a) the perceptions of students participating in competitive extracurricular activities regarding drug use and abuse; (b) the attitudes and perceptions of parents, school staff, and community members regarding student drug involvement; (c)…

Aim: To assess college students' attributions for abstinence from alcohol and illicit drugs. Method: We recruited 125 undergraduates to rate the degree to which each of 41 listed reasons influenced their abstention from six specific substances (alcohol, MDMA/ecstasy, inhalants, cocaine, marijuana, and hallucinogens). Findings: Internal consistency…

This study examines whether the Student Athlete Testing Using Random Notification ("SATURN") program affects illicit drug and alcohol use among student athletes. The study experienced high rates of sample attrition. Seven of the 18 study schools (39%) left the study and were not included in the analysis. Some students at the remaining…

To help assess the effects of school-based random drug testing programs, the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) contracted with RMC Research Corporation and Mathematica Policy Research to conduct an experimental evaluation of the Mandatory-Random Student Drug Testing (MRSDT) programs in 36 high schools within…

The association of and difference between urinalysis, self and parent collateral-report of alcohol and substance use at baseline, 3 and 9-month follow-up was assessed for 88 male and female adolescents from a treatment study. While urinalyses rates were higher than self and collateral-report, urinalyses and self-report did not differ significantly…

The Vernonia School District v. Acton Supreme Court decision in 1995, forever changed the landscape of the legality of drug testing in schools. This decision stated that students who were involved in athletic programs could be drug tested as long as the student's privacy was not invaded. According to some in the medical profession, there are two…

Offers a partial listing of citations in the ERIC database on the history of drug use in the United States. Includes items concerning regional needs assessment, alcoholic students, and drug abuse. Suggests articles on efforts and legislation toward drug control, the status of drug education, and the controversies of drug testing. (DK)

Collegiate student athletes are faced with the same developmental challenges and stressors as their nonathlete peers, but they are also expected to deal with the challenges of athletic involvement (e.g., time demands, physical demands, travel schedules). Such additional demands may put athletes at greater risk for experiencing physical and…

This report discusses the need for an alcohol and drug use prevention program at the University of Michigan and presents findings from a task force that was established to investigate the problem of student alcohol and other drug use and identify areas where priority should be given for action. The opening section of the report presents the…

This survey was conducted by Who's Who Among American High School Students during the spring of 1990, to determine the attitudes of student leaders in U.S. high schools. A survey of high achievers sent to 5,000 students was completed and returned by approximately 2,000 students. All students were members of the junior or senior class during the…